Inviolable fastening or closure applicable to envelopes and wrappers in general



Feb. 3, 1931. P. COLONNESE INVIOLABLE FASTENING OR CLOSURE APPLICABLE TO ENVELOPES AND WRAPPERS IN GENERAL Filed April 16, 1929 g C'o /077)7e $e Imam ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 3, 1931 I PATENT Fete PASGUAL COLONNESE, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA INVIOLAIBLE FASTENING OE;- CLGSURE APPLICABLE TO ENVELOPES AND WRAPPERS IN GENERAL Application filed April 16, 1929, Serial No. 355,578, and in Argentina November 30, 1928.

The present invention relates to an inviolable fastening or closure applicable to envelopes and wrappers in general, its object being to avoid the adulteration and extraction of contents, above all in the case of wrappers or covers of importance, and veryespecially as regards postal env lopes; since, as is well known, it has not been found possible, up to date, to give security to correspondence of value,iby the fact of closing same with simple adhesive unions, or by means of primitive sealing wax or pressure clasps, which offer only weak obstacles to violators, when the same are'submitted to easy processes, such as steam, special fluids, etc., making it extremely feasible to conceal the transgression, Without leaving vestiges or adulteratio-ns on the envelopes submitted to such action, and for this reason robberies daily take place, without it being possible to accuse the authors. This is the reason why a great many business men abstain from employing the post for matters of certain importance. On the other hand, with the fastening or closure of my invention, all such inconveniences and fears are avoided, inasmuch as it refers to a combination of adhesives so arranged, that the simple attempt of open ing, makes manifest the violation at first sight, in an evident and conclusive manner. Thevinviolable fastening or closure, the object of the present-invention, is based on system of closure formed by the combination of several elements, and it can be applied 5- to the band, strip, or element which forms the wrapping of the object that it is desired to maintain inviolable, which may be closed by the ordinary adhesive gumming.

The characteristic feature of this inviolable fastening or closure, consists in that the envelope or wrapper is provided towards one of its ends, or in any adequate position, with a perforation in the most convenient form, and opposite to which perforation, towards the other end thereof, or at the point which corresponds to the perforation, itis provided with an adhesive surface. Upon the perforation provided in the fastening element, is placed another small element of greater area than that which corresponds to said perforation, preferably constituted by a small piece of paper, or similar material, cut in any desired form, although it is found preferable that it should bear extensions or points, the

object of which will be established hereafter.

such a manner that the detecting element will" be found between the fastening element and said transparent surface. The fixing of this transparent surface may be effected by any means, and it is possible to further secure said union, by means of a series of small grooves,

pressure lines, letters or inscriptions, etc.,

efiected in the contour of this transparent surface, in such a manner'that said pressure lines or grooves, or letters, inscriptions, etc., will act as a window and show if the trans parent surface has been withdrawn totally or in part, with the object of changing, substituting or mending the detecting element.

As already stated, the detecting element, in its normal position, is situated between the perforated portion of the wrapper or envc lope, and the transparent surface.

lVhen the closing is effectechthe closing wrapper or envelope is directly adhered or gulnmedln the ordinary manner, and simultaneously the adhesive carrying portion is adhered, through the perforated portion to the detecting element, Which can be viewed from the outside through the transparent surface in its normal and proper form.

l/Vhen said fastening is opened, as the d etecting element is' found adhered to the adhesive part, the latter in its movement drags the detecting element, displacing it from its normal position, which is easily observed through the transparent surface. The recon struction or replacement of the detecting element to its original position is impossible, which fact shows the violation.

Moreover, the detecting element may be fixed in any extreme of its surface upon the fastening element,'with the object of better fixing it in position, and also with t e j c that, on the wrapper or envelope being opened, said element will be broken.

Furthermore, the detecting element may be impregnated with colouring substances (false colours), easily altcrable by the action of vapours and acids or steam, which might be utilized in order to provoke the freeing of the adhered elements. In these cases, the alteration of the colour in the detecting ele ment, would implicitly demonstrate that the fastening had. been violated.

In order that the present invention may be clearly understood and easily carried out in practice, it has been set forth in its preferable form of execution in the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows in perspective the whole of the elements which constitute the fastening.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view ofthe fastening elements in their form of application.

is a front view of the fastening where it is possible to see, through the t1 surface, the detecting element, in in the form of a star-I Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the fastening, closed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the fastening,

wvhen its opening is started.

Fig. 6 is :1V sectional view similar to the preceding one, when the fastening; open.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of an ordinary envelope, open, made invio-l able by means of the application of the elements which constitute the inviolable fastening.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the same envelope, closed, and where the detecting elements, in this case stars, may be soon in their normal position, and

Fig. 9 an elevational view of the same envelope, where maybe seen, partially in section,some of the elements of; the fasteniu g).

In said figures, the same reference numbers indicate similar or equivalent parts.

\Vith 1 has been indicated the fastening element which bears a. perforation 2. and at a point which corresponds to said pcrforation, an adhesive surface 3. l represents the transparent surface which is fixedtothc element 1, increasing said union by measure lines 5. Between the element 1. and the transparent surface 4,1's placed the detecting element 6, in this case in the form of a star.

The fastening clement may be fixed by means of the adhesive or any other current process.

As can be seen in the Figs. 2 and 4, the elements are arranged insuch form, that on closing the fastening, the adhesive surface 3 is fastened to. the detecting element or-star 6. On opening the fastening (Figs. 5 and 6), itwill be observed that the element 6 is dragged and; withdrawn from its. position, to-

fastening is again. closed, which indicates that the fastening has been violated.

This system of inviolable fastening may have special application, as has been previously stated, in envelopes for correspondoncc, guarantee bands, and \\'l{ll')[i.l'$2 in genoral. In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, this system of fastening is seen with t ree denouncing elements, applied to an ordinary envelope, in which 7 indicates the top flap of said envelope 8. The other elements are indicated with the corresponding previous numbers. In these cases, any alteration suffered by the detecting element or star 6, be such in its colouring or by its total or partial disappearance, and even by its abnormal configuration, would indicate that the envelope has been violated, and this can be perfectly observed by reason of the transparency ofthe surface which covers the detecting clement.

Moreover, the series of pro groove-r; effected around the serve as a conti 1 as they we id in ly disclose any attempt lnime to lift or chan saidsurface t, with the object of arranging or .tixing' a new element or star 6. The form of the detecting element is preferably that representing a sta r provided with various points, which allows, on account of its contour, any deformation to be easily observed. This does not imply that it is impossible to employ any conformation which may be considered convenient.

It is evident that modifications may be introduced in the materials and the disposition of thesefastenings without such representing a departure from the scope of the invention, which is more clearly determined in the following.

I-lavingnow particularly described. and determined the nature of my invention, and the manner in which it is carried out in practice, I declare that what I claim as my exclusive propert and right is:

1. A fastener applicable to envelopes and wrappers in general comprising in combination, a closure body provided with a perforated portion, a detecting element placed over and completely covering said perforation, a transparent disc-like covering arrangedover said detecting: clement and liscd at its outer edges to the perforated portion of the closurebody, a small adhesive surface also arranged on the closure body at a.

point lying opposite the perforation in the perforated portion, the parts being" disposed in such a manner that on the closing of the closure body the adhesive surface adheres throughthe perf'orationto the detecting element so thaton openinthe closure body the detecting element is dragged from beneath the transparent covering and deformed.

2." A fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of readily disposed grooves are provided about the outer edges of the EII disc-like transparent covering at the time the latter is fixed so as to render visible any attempt made with the object of lifting said transparent surface.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, Wherein the detecting element is impregnated wit-h a coloring substance which decomposes under the action of foreign agents such as acids, acid vapors and steam, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, where in the closure body is in the form of an envelope, the top flap of which receives the perforations.

5. A fastener of the character described comprising in combination, an envelope the top flap of which is provided with a series of perforations, star-like colored discs arranged on the outer face of the top flap and covering the perforations and adapted to be secured to the rear face of the envelope upon the closing of the top flap, and transparent disc-like coverings secured on the outer face of the top flap over the star-like discs and to the outer surface of the top flap at points adjacent the outer edges.

6. A fastener of the character described including in combination, a wrapper body provided with a perforation adjacent one edge, star-like detecting element arranged over the perforation and adapted to be secured through the perforation to the adja-. cent underlying portion throughout the body, and a transparent disclike covering arranged over the star-like detecting disc lenient and securedrto the main body of the wrapper, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PASCUAL COLONNESE. 

